State profile · Near median Poor share

Wisconsin bridge safety

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, condition ratings, load ratings, and Poor-condition shares for every public highway bridge in Wisconsin.

14,446
Public bridges
51.0%
Good condition
6.5%
Poor condition

Wisconsin holds 14,446 public highway bridges (#19 of 52 by inventory) with a 6.52% Poor share (#23 of 52 by Poor share).

That is 6.5% of the state's inventory, against an average of 7.5% across the 54 states and territories with Poor-rated bridges on file, which places it 30 of 54 ordered from the lowest Poor share upward. A bridge is rated Poor when its weakest applicable component scores 4 or below on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, so the category is a maintenance and funding signal rather than a closure order or a live crossing-safety verdict.

Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026

Total Bridges

14,446

Public highway bridges in Wisconsin

Good Condition

51.0%

7,368 bridges rated 7-9

1.0pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

6.5%

942 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

-1.0pp vs national avg 7.5%

Wisconsin vs national bridge condition

Wisconsin - Good condition share 51.0%
National avg

Share of bridges rated 7-9 on the FHWA 0-9 scale (deck, superstructure, substructure all good).

Wisconsin - Poor-condition share 21.7%
National avg

Lower is better. Bar maxes at 30% (worst-state ceiling). National average sits at 7.5%.

Wisconsin in the national condition pattern

Each point is a state or territory in the FHWA NBI; the highlighted point is this profile.

Inventory size and Poor-condition share are different measures: Wisconsin has 14,446 bridges and a 6.5% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #30 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The dashed comparisons mark the national average state rate and the midpoint of the plotted inventory range; neither is a live safety or closure threshold. Scatter plot of 54 data points. 0%10%20%30%40% 0k20k40k60k Public bridges in inventory (thousands) Poor-condition share (%) WI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.52%AL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 16.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 3.35%AK, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 1.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.89%AZ, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.15%AR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.43%CA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 25.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.91%CO, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 9k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.82%CT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.72%DE, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.26%DC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.95%FL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13k · Poor-condition share (%): 2.79%GA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 15.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.59%GU, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0k · Poor-condition share (%): 12.77%HI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 1.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.53%ID, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.9%IL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 26.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 9.35%IN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 19.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.22%IA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 23.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 19.16%KS, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 24.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.26%KY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.37%LA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 12.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 11.48%ME, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 15.41%MD, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.56%MA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 8.88%MI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 11.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 11.27%MN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.44%MS, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 16.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.03%MO, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 24.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 8.95%MT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.81%NE, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 15.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.9%NV, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.14%NH, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.51%NJ, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 6.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.01%NM, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.51%NY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 17.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 9.43%NC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 19.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.76%ND, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 10.98%OH, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 26.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.74%OK, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 22.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.7%OR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.61%PA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 23.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 12.58%PR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 13.92%RI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 15.2%SC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 9.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.17%SD, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 16.36%TN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 20.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.41%TX, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 56.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.23%UT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 3.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 2.91%VT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 2.9%VI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0k · Poor-condition share (%): 29.17%VA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 3.39%WA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.45%WV, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 7.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 18.64%WY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 3.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.51%
Inventory size and Poor-condition share are different measures: Wisconsin has 14,446 bridges and a 6.5% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #30 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The dashed comparisons mark the national average state rate and the midpoint of the plotted inventory range; neither is a live safety or closure threshold.

Wisconsin vs all states by public bridge inventory

Where this state's FHWA NBI public-highway bridge count sits among every state and territory on PlainBridges

14,446 19th of 54 higher than 35 of 54 states

States and territories, banded by public bridge inventory size

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source FHWA National Bridge Inventory · 2024

Read the rank neighborhood for Wisconsin

The highlighted point is Wisconsin: 14,446 bridges and 6.52% in Poor condition, rank #30 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The five jurisdictions immediately above and below Wisconsin on that same Poor-share ordering:

  • South Carolina: 9,490 bridges · 6.17% Poor
  • Wyoming: 3,136 bridges · 6.51% Poor
  • Wisconsin: 14,446 bridges · 6.52% Poor
  • Hawaii: 1,195 bridges · 6.53% Poor
  • North Carolina: 19,210 bridges · 6.76% Poor

The full national sortable table lives on the rankings page.

Material families in Wisconsin

Exclusive FHWA material families across all 14,446 bridges in this state; continuous variants fold into the parent family. Orthogonal to the Poor-share scatter above.

Who maintains Wisconsin’s inventory

State agency holds 37.0% of the 14,446 public highway bridges filed under Wisconsin in the 2024 NBI, the agency-of-record split for this state, not a condition verdict.

When Wisconsin’s bridges were built

Pre-1950 construction accounts for 8.5% of the 14,446 bridges with a recorded original year in Wisconsin. Era bands are orthogonal to the Poor-share ranking above.

Condition Distribution

Wisconsin51%42.5%GoodFairPoor
Bridge inventory deck-condition mix - Wisconsin (FHWA NBI)

Wisconsin vs nearby ranks

Adjacent states by Poor-condition share (lower share = better)

States are ranked by the share of bridges whose lowest applicable component rating is 4 or below. This describes recorded condition; it does not measure funding effectiveness or live crossing safety. States here sit immediately above and below Wisconsin on the same metric.

SC

South Carolina

6.17% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$9,490

WY

Wyoming

6.51% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$3,136
Selected

WI

Wisconsin

6.52% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$14,446

HI

Hawaii

6.53% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$1,195

NC

North Carolina

6.76% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$19,210

Bridges Needing Most Attention in Wisconsin

Six lowest-condition bridges in Wisconsin, ranked by the portal's composite display score. Inspection intervals are risk-based under current NBIS rules.

All Bridges in Wisconsin

LRD RYBECK RD

Fair

Over: BARK RIVER

0.5M E JCT CTH E, Waukesha, WI

Built 1930 Load: 55.1 t ADT: 910

CTH K

Fair

Over: BLACK RIVER

0.6M S JCT CTH E, Jackson, WI

Built 1972 Load: 56.7 t ADT: 1,100

LRD S 13TH ST

Fair

Over: UNION PACIFIC RR

1.9M S JCT STH 59, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2000 Load: 56.7 t ADT: 9,300

STH 11 EB

Fair

Over: WHITE RIVER

5.3 MI N JCT STH 120, Walworth, WI

Built 2010 Load: 56.7 t ADT: 3,750

LRD SUNRISE RD

Fair

Over: PROSPECT CREEK

1.1M N JCT CTH G, Marathon, WI

Built 1927 Load: 56.7 t ADT: 51

CTH S

Fair

Over: WEST FORK

1.3M W JCT CTH F, Richland, WI

Built 1974 Load: 56.7 t ADT: 119

FR173

Fair

Over: MOOSE RIVER

8.0 M. W. JCT CTH GG, Sawyer, WI

Built 1996 Load: 58.3 t ADT: 2

CTH CS

Fair

Over: BR ROWAN CREEK

0.1M W JCT CTH CS TO E, Columbia, WI

Built 1959 Load: 58.3 t ADT: 2,700

LRD S BARNEKOW RD

Fair

Over: DNR-HANK AARON TRAIL

0.1M E JCT STH 100, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1989 Load: 58.3 t ADT: 115

CTH B

Fair

Over: BR N FK BAD AXE RIVER

0.9M S JCT CTH KK, Vernon, WI

Built 1988 Load: 58.3 t ADT: 477

STH 70

Fair

Over: SAINT GERMAIN RIVER

0.8M E JCT CTH C, Vilas, WI

Built 1968 Load: 58.3 t ADT: 3,900

WEST F STREET

Fair

Over: LA CROSSE RIVER

W. F St over La Crosse R., Monroe, WI

Built 1996 Load: 59.3 t ADT: 1,000

STH 60

Fair

Over: DRY RUN

6.5M E JCT STH 131, Crawford, WI

Built 2001 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 2,100

IH 94

Fair

Over: BR POPLAR CREEK

1.1M E JCT USH 18 TO E, Waukesha, WI

Built 1961 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 133,000

STH 55

Fair

Over: APPLE CREEK

0.4M N JCT CTH JJ, Outagamie, WI

Built 1990 Load: 61.6 t ADT: 3,500

USH 8

Fair

Over: HAY CREEK

5.7M E JCT CTH O, Price, WI

Built 1937 Load: 63.2 t ADT: 1,200

LRD N. 20TH AVE

Fair

Over: COUNTY LINE CREEK

1.8M E JCT CTH K, Marathon, WI

Built 1978 Load: 63.2 t ADT: 50

STH 39

Fair

Over: PEDLER CREEK

1.5M E JCT CTH X, Iowa, WI

Built 1939 Load: 64.2 t ADT: 2,000

CTH W

Fair

Over: GOBIN HOLLOW CREEK

3.2 M N JCT STH 60, Crawford, WI

Built 1995 Load: 68.0 t ADT: 197

CTH E

Fair

Over: PIKE RIVER

0.3M W JCT STH 32, Kenosha, WI

Built 1972 Load: 68.0 t ADT: 2,900

STH 175-STADIUM FR

Fair

Over: LRD N STADIUM ACCESS RD

0.4M N JCT IH 94 TO E, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1960 Load: 68.0 t ADT: 72,800

LRD ALVERNO RD

Fair

Over: SILVER CREEK

0.1M S JCT CTH CS, Manitowoc, WI

Built 1956 Load: 68.0 t ADT: 205

USH 18-STH 100

Fair

Over: CNW RR

6.0M E JCT CTH Y, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1973 Load: 69.7 t ADT: 43,400

STH 175

Fair

Over: NO NAME CREEK

2.3M N JCT CTH DW, Dodge, WI

Built 1995 Load: 71.3 t ADT: 1,100

LRD ERNST RD / FOR

Fair

Over: N BR PEMEBONWON RIVER

0.75 MI WEST OF CTH O, Marinette, WI

Built 1980 Load: 71.3 t ADT: 99

STH 114 - TAYCO ST

Fair

Over: FOX RIVER

2.5M E JCT USH 41 TO N, Winnebago, WI

Built 1993 Load: 71.3 t ADT: 9,000

STH 16-STH 60

Fair

Over: ROBBINS CREEK

3.0M E JCT CTH D (ORIGINA, Columbia, WI

Built 1975 Load: 74.5 t ADT: 10,100

STH 77-LAKE DR

Fair

Over: BAD RIVER

0.2M E JCT STH 13 TO N, Ashland, WI

Built 1975 Load: 79.4 t ADT: 2,100

LRD S 27TH RD

Fair

Over: LITTLE PESHTIGO RIVER

0.7M S JCT CTH B, Marinette, WI

Built 1920 Load: 79.4 t ADT: 125

LRD W COLD SPRING

Fair

Over: WILDCAT CREEK

0.1M W JCT STH "100", Milwaukee, WI

Built 1991 Load: 81.0 t ADT: 2,100

USH 14-USH 61

Fair

Over: RUNDAHL COULEE CREEK

1.1M E JCT CTH B, Vernon, WI

Built 1948 Load: 87.5 t ADT: 5,200

CTH Q

Fair

Over: BRANCH OF GILBERT CREEK

0.05 MILES N JCT STH 29, Dunn, WI

Built 1970 Load: 89.1 t ADT: 718

LRD SERVICE ROAD

Fair

Over: STH 38-HOWELL AVE

0.3M S JCT W GRANGE AVE, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1980 Load: 98.8 t ADT: 234

IH 90 WB-IH 94 WB

Fair

Over: BR ROWAN CREEK

3.8M W JCT STH 60 TO E, Columbia, WI

Built 1961 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 29,350

USH 151

Fair

Over: BEAVER DAM RIVER

0.8 MI.N OF CTH D, Dodge, WI

Built 1996 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 21,600

USH 14

Fair

Over: BR DAY CREEK

2.7M E JCT STH 131 TO N, Vernon, WI

Built 1948 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 1,900

LRD COVERED BRIDGE

Good

Over: PINE RIVER

0.1 M S JCT CTH A, Waushara, WI

Built 1997 Load: 4.9 t ADT: 54

LRD PARK RD (DEAD

Good

Over: BR MISSISSIPPI RIVER

0.1M W JCT CTH VV, Grant, WI

Built 1962 Load: 8.1 t ADT: 300

LRD CEMETERY ACCES

Good

Over: IH 94-E-W FREEWAY

0.6 M S JCT USH 18, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1959 Load: 8.1 t ADT: 400

LRD 6TH AVE

Good

Over: IH 90-IH 94

0.7MI N JCT USH12/STH16, Juneau, WI

Built 1964 Load: 9.7 t ADT: 470

USH 10 EB

Good

Over: LRD LAKE RD

AT LAKE RD, Portage, WI

Built 2004 Load: 9.7 t ADT: 6,900

USH 10 WB

Good

Over: LRD LAKE RD

AT LAKE RD, Portage, WI

Built 2004 Load: 9.7 t ADT: 7,600

LRD 23RD ST

Good

Over: BR LITTLE YELLOW RIVER

4.6M W JCT STH 80, Juneau, WI

Built 1971 Load: 9.7 t ADT: 47

CTH CD

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

0.9 MI S OF STH 73, Columbia, WI

Built 2022 Load: 10.0 t ADT: 300

FR168

Good

Over: MOOSE RIVER

5.0 M. S. JCT STH 77, Ashland, WI

Built 1952 Load: 12.6 t ADT: 20

FR 2159

Good

Over: SO BRANCH POPPLE RIVER

6.0 MI N OF JCT USH 8, Florence, WI

Built 1980 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 50

LRD AGRICULTURAL D

Good

Over: USH 12/18

1/2 MILE EAST OF USH 51, Dane, WI

Built 2005 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 3,100

LRD FALL RIVER RD

Good

Over: CRAWFISH RIVER

1.5M N JCT STH 16, Columbia, WI

Built 1967 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 121

LRD HEINEMAN RD

Good

Over: PRAIRIE RIVER

0.8M W JCT STH 17, Lincoln, WI

Built 1965 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 179

LRD RURAL ROAD

Good

Over: CYSTAL RIVER

50 FT SOUTH ASHMUN ST, Waupaca, WI

Built 1940 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 874

Showing 6,101-6,150 of 14,446 bridges

Data sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI), latest released cycle. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBridges.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI). Poor condition is an inspection-record category, not a closure or unsafe-to-cross designation. Consult the bridge owner for current status.

What to do with this

Use Wisconsin's inventory picture to drill to a county or a specific span.

  • Browse counties in Wisconsin and open the highest-Poor shares first. County list
  • See where this state sits among peers on Poor-condition share. State rankings
  • Compare this state with another jurisdiction on the same measures. State compare

NBI condition ratings are inventory snapshots, not live crossing-safety verdicts.

Every figure on PlainBridges is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Wisconsin Good/Fair/Poor shares and county rollups on this page are computed from the same NBI extract as the national boards; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2024 NBI release. NBI condition categories reflect the latest reported inventory record, not a live safety, closure, or travel decision.